One Leaf Left: A Rough Beginning
by Rimba
Summary: This describes Spottedleaf's whole life, from her first fox attack to meeting Firepaw, and what would happen afterward. When, unexpectedly, she lives, StarClan has no control and everything goes out of whack. Can Spottedleaf fix things? R&R! ON HOLD!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Spottedleaf, or lots of other characters. But I do own Nala, my kittypet! Hurrah!**

_Prologue of __One Leaf Left: A Rough Beginning_

A shadow moved across the medicine cat's den, giving only a shred of light on the poor kit. The queen's face was taut with worry, and she looked down, gray tail flicking anxiously back and forth. "How is the kit?" she whispered.

The tom's gruff voice echoed between the cracks in the rock. "Not well. I've given her tansy for the cough, marigold for her slight chill, bramble twigs for sleep, and burdock root for her infection, but still, she is not calm." He nodded toward her, twitching his scarred, ripped ears. The blue-gray cat stared closer at the tortoiseshell kit, whose side was bound in bloody cobwebs and a burdock poultice. She twitched and squeaked, sounding as if she was repeatedly being jabbed in the paw with a sharp thorn.

"Have you tried poppy seed for the pain?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I've been distracted, and I forgot." He rummaged through his supplies, came up with a poppy head, and shook two out. He got the queen's help to open the kit's mouth and deposit the seeds. "Thank you, Bluestar. You may go now."

Bluestar dipped her head. "You are welcome, Limpingfoot. Would you like me to bring you some fresh-kill?" He nodded. "Alright." She slipped sleekly through the ferns into the open part of camp, where most everyone was sleeping, except for a brown reddish-tailed warrior. He kept a steady eye on the camp while watching Bluestar with the other.

"Is everything alright with Dappletail's kit?" Redtail mewed, hopping off the Highrock and coming down to join his leader. She was about to reply when two voices came from the nursery.

"_Hush! You'll wake the whole Clan_." It was Dappletail.

"_But Dappletail! I want to see Spottedkit._" It was Willowkit, the injured kit's sister. An irritated hiss erupted from the mother.

"_Limpingfoot has his paws full enough without an annoying kit breathing down his neck and getting in the way. Now go to bed._" Dappletail was very cautious of her brother, who couldn't run after being born without a paw on his left hind leg. She, being the firstborn, felt the need to protect him, although they were grown.

Bluestar chuckled, amused, and found a nice, fat sparrow for Limpingfoot. She trotted across camp with the bony wings in her teeth, pushed through the ferns, and dropped it at the medicine cat's feet. He nodded his thanks and went back to watching Spottedkit while plucking the feathers out of his sparrow.

"How is Sandkit?" she asked, coming back to Redtail, who had lain down and was yawning rather drowsily. Redtail had quickly fallen for Mousefur, at the time Mousepaw, although her brother Runningwind had hated the match. Together they had brought Sandkit into the world, a beautiful sand-colored she-cat, though no one could explain how she got that color.

"She's fine. Mousefur thinks she could become the best hunter in the Clan, the way she sneaks up on innocent crickets and bites their heads off." Redtail shared a _mrrow _of laughter with the leader.

"She shows great potential," agreed Bluestar. Her whiskers twitched. "I just wish Spottedkit hadn't been attacked by that fox. Patchpelt and Whitepaw are still patching up the hole. Longkit was lucky; he just got scratched."

"Yes. Shouldn't he be apprenticed about now?" he meowed, cocking his head. Bluestar nodded, flicking her tail and eyeing the nursery.

"Probably so. I'll arrange for his apprentice ceremony in the morning. It'll be at sunhigh. Come on, now, Redtail. Get some rest."

"Yes, Bluestar." He stood and walked into the warriors' den, curling up in his nest next to Mousefur's unoccupied one.

Bluestar wandered into the nursery, examining the hole. It had one large gap, so she darted away and found a fern. Quickly she uprooted the plant, hurried back to the nursery, and shoved it in the hole. "That will do for now," she murmured. "But I wonder what will do for Spottedkit." A sudden thought of Oakheart flashed through her mind; her stomach rolled, her head spun, and her throat ached with guilt. Then another thought, of Thistleclaw, rolled in, and her heart pierced with rage. She'd always hated the far-too-ambitious cat, and now he had a son, Tigerpaw.

Tigerpaw seemed friendly enough, just a wee ambitious, like his father. He was loyal and determined, and wouldn't give up till he did it right. Maybe someday he'd be a good leader. _You shall see, _laughed a voice in her head.

Startled, Bluestar sprinted to her den to sleep.


	2. Apprenticeship

**Review Checkups:**

**Darkstorm Mistystar's Legacy: Thank you! So do I. They have so many more mysteries than those set after Firestar.**

**Blazonedheart Ashfur's Loyalty: Yes, he was born without a hind paw. And thanks for concern over Spottedkit, though I don't think she really knows you care, you know:)**

**Grace of Masbolle: Thank you! And I was trying to get it to be new and unwritten. **

----_Chapter One of __One Leaf Left: A Rough Beginning_----

"Ugh, Spottedkit, can't this wait? It's at _sunhigh!_" Dappletail groaned, rolling onto her back and nearly yanking the excited kits' tails off. "You two kept me up all night, whispering back and forth like that."

"But Dappletail!" Willowkit yowled. "We have to be ready. See, we have to wash, then eat, then wash, then we'll drink, then we'll get wet and run around, and get dirty, so we'll wash again…"

"And then, we'll get hungry, so we'll eat again," Spottedkit mewed. Willowkit gave an agreeing "Uh-huh." Dappletail moaned and stood up.

"Fine. If you two are going to go crazy in here, don't run over Sandkit when you come out." The kits heard nothing, just missing the terrified ginger kit. They raced outside, Willowkit just beating her sister to the place they always washed. First they began each other's backs, taking off all the dust and moss. Then they cleaned their chests, tails, and faces.

"I'm going to beat you!" Spottedkit meowed, running ahead of Willowkit. The gray she-kit's blue eyes grew wide.

"_Watch out!_"

Spottedkit looked too late. She ran head-on into Redtail, who looked down, amused. "Well, hello, Spottedkit. Are you ready to be apprenticed?"

"Oh, yes, Redtail. I can't wait." She gave an excited purr, her fur rippling. Then she picked up a sparrow and tossed it to Willowkit.

"There you go!" she called, and picked up a deer mouse for herself, moving over to sit by her sister. They ate their fresh-kill hurriedly, and cleaned their faces.

"How about we go to the elders for a story?" Willowkit suggested, licking her pale gray paws. Spottedkit, who was cleaning between her toes, shrugged.

"Sounds good." They stood up, shook out their fur, and began racing to the elders' den when Bluestar called out:

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Instantly cats flooded from their dens and settled near the Highrock. He saw Longpaw sit down proudly next to Runningwind, who craned his neck to see the leader.

"We have two kits ready to be apprenticed today. Spottedkit, Willowkit, come forward." Obediently the kits moved closer a few steps.

"From this day forward, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be called Willowpaw. Lionheart, Smallear has taught you well. I hope you can pass your skills on to this eager apprentice."

The two cats touched noses, and Bluestar spoke once more after they'd moved back.

"From this day forward, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be called Spottedpaw. Limpingfoot, I know you've talked of having an apprentice. Mountainwhisper has taught you well, so I trust you to pass on your knowledge of herbs and healing to this apprentice."

Spottedpaw stared in horror. Limpingfoot hobbled out to touch noses, and she let her snout come in contact with his for only a moment before hissing furiously and racing out into the forest. She sat near the Great Sycamore, milling things over in her mind. _I wanted to be a warrior, not a stupid medicine cat! I'll never get my dream this way. Oh, StarClan! Why have you allowed Limpingfoot to do this?_

_Calm yourself, little one. The reason will soon be shown, in the form of a ginger tom._

"Mountainwhisper?" Her mew was hoarse. "I know you've been dead since before I was born, but…what do you mean?"

_I can tell you no more. I've already said too much._

There was a rustle in the undergrowth, and Bluestar padded out. "I saw how rudely you behaved at the ceremony." Her words were not harsh, just concerned.

"Who didn't?" snapped Spottedpaw. "I didn't _want _to be a medicine cat's apprentice. I want to be a warrior."

"I know, young one," she meowed, running her tail tip gently on the apprentice's cheek, "but you must bear in mind Limpingfoot will not live forever. He needs someone to take his place—and well, he saw fit that your daring-but-calm attitude, which you used toward the fox, would be good for a medicine cat."

"But why?" she moaned. "I want to be a part of the hunting, and patrolling, instead of being left all alone with Limpingfoot, mixing herbs."

"I know you don't like this arrangement, but you'll warm to it. You'll see. Now come. Limpingfoot needs you," Bluestar ordered with a tone that said 'This conversation is over.'

Sighing, Spottedpaw followed the leader's silvery tail through the ferns to the ravine back to camp.


	3. Meeting Mountainwhisper

**I've had no reviews, so…GRR. Review, please! Or the story ends!**

----_Chapter Two of __One Leaf Left: A Rough Beginning_----

"Spottedpaw, it's time to wake up."

The voice was not harsh, rude, or commanding; on the contrary, it was friendly, hurt, and tentative. Spottedpaw judged, by the tone, that she'd distressed him by cruelly rejecting his work. She opened her amber eyes and stared into eyes that looked like those of a kit's that wasn't sure he should have chased his moss ball into the clearing where two cats were curled up together, purring. Limpingfoot looked almost guilty.

"Good morning," she said, trying to sound upbeat. She stretched and washed, curling her tail around herself when she was finished. He rolled out a list of herbs and their uses, and only a few did she know (catnip, marigold, comfrey). She was half-listening, and only sharpened up when Limpingfoot slit his eyes and growled, "Have you been listening to a word I said?"

"Oh, yes," she lied, shuffling her paws.

"Alright—what's the use of the tansy blossom?" he quizzed her, rolling his eyes.

"Um…" She was about to guess 'to remove worms,' which was the tansy leaves, blossoms, and stems all together, but Lionheart burst in, gasping.

"Limpingfoot!" he yowled, bright golden fur glinting. "Something's happened to Brownstripe! His tail has been taken off!" **(You'll find out who he is in a minute!)** Limpingfoot's ears pricked, and he rounded on the apprentice.

"Well? Don't stand there, gawking! Get me some poppy seeds, marigold, cobwebs, and bramble twigs! Wrap them, and hurry up! I don't want a stupid apprentice who does nothing!" Limpingfoot hissed, turning and limping quickly away with the large golden tom.

Spottedpaw trembled, hurt. His words had stung her deeply; she went back into his den and gathered twice as many supplies as he probably would have and put them in two bundles. Then she placed them at the edge of the den and plodded, feeling downhearted, into the very back, squished into a tiny hole. "I'm never going to come out," she vowed softly. "This is just too hard."

-----------

"Great StarClan!" came Limpingfoot's panting voice. "She left the bundles at the edge, but she didn't come." The tom growled and hobbled into the den. "Spottedpaw! What are you doing back there?"

She hissed. "Go away."

"You do not speak to your elders that way!" the brown cat snapped. He got closer, and she threw out her claws, slashing his shoulder. He howled and jumped back. "Bluestar shall hear of this! But for now, go change the elders' bedding." He spat while looking for marigold.

"Yes, Limpingfoot," Spottedpaw murmured, grabbing a wad of moss and heading over to the elders' den. She sighed, thinking of all the apprentices that were out hunting or training: Whitepaw, Tigerpaw, Darkpaw, Longpaw, Willowpaw, Brindlepaw, Frostpaw, and Goldenpaw…None of them were stuck, being yelled at, changing elders' bedding. Where was her life going? **(Strange to think of her as rebellious, huh?)**

**-----**

"How was _your _day?" Spottedpaw mumbled, exhausted. All day it was work and no rest—elders' bedding, leaders' bedding, collecting herbs, finding moss, laying out herbs to dry. She barely had the strength to eat her chaffinch, while Willowpaw was hungrily tearing at her squirrel.

"Well, mostly we hunted, but I did some battle training with Frostpaw. Lionheart said I did very well," she mewed, sounding proud, even with her mouth full. "What about yours? What'd you do?" The tortoiseshell apprentice was once again interrupted as Bluestar yowled out for the Clan to gather.

Brownstripe moved forward weakly, his tail just a bloody stub. She gasped and hurriedly finished her meal, gathering with the Clan. Willowpaw shifted to give her sister more room.

"We all know that Brownstripe was attacked by a badger that soon crossed the Thunderpath." A shiver rippled through the cats.

"Spirits of StarClan," meowed Bluestar. "You know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what he is." She paused, her gaze passing over the Clan. "By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment he will be known as Halftail, for though he has been injured, we honor his bravery and loyalty to his Clan." She stepped forward and touched her muzzle to the newly named tom's head. He licked her shoulder.

"Halftail! Halftail! Halftail!" the Clan cheered. With a flick of her tail, the chanting stopped.

"I have another ceremony to perform." She looked to the setting sun, now, and mewed, "Halftail, is it your wish to give up the name of warrior and go to join the elders?"

"It is," said Halftail bravely, as if he weren't sure of what to say. Spottedpaw held her breath.

"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest." Rosetail, his sister, purred and touched her muzzle to his.

"I'm glad you've come to join us," she said. Smallear and One-Eye came to congratulate him.

"Well, if they're done with ceremonies, I think I'll go to sleep," Spottedpaw mewed, heading to the medicine cat's den. She curled up in her mossy nest and closed her eyes, drifting off into the land of dreams.

-----------

A small gray cat, barely larger than an apprentice, padded forward. "Spottedpaw." The tortoiseshell stared at her, cocking her head.

"Who are you?" Her mew echoed vibrantly, and she heard just how strange her voice sounded in this dimly-lit tunnel. The rock was thick and smooth, leading on for a long way in both directions. At one point it split into three tunnels, and when she squinted, she could see those branched off as well.

"I am Mountainwhisper." She stepped into a small patch of watery sunlight. The medicine cat's fur was a brilliant silver, and she had a white left forepaw and white right hind paw. Her tail-tip was white, and her face was covered in white markings. Her vibrant green eyes seemed to pierce Spottedpaw's pelt. "Come with me." She turned on one paw and padded gently down the tunnel, her paws silent.

Spottedpaw hurried after her. Mountainwhisper quietly turned down the right tunnel, and then took a left. By now Spottedpaw's head was whirling, confused by all the same bleak tunnels, leading to nowhere. Then—a bright patch of light shone at the end of the tunnel. Mountainwhisper's pace quickened, and she had to sprint to catch up.

They burst into sunlight. Dead cats, just spirits, darted around, playing or hunting or something like that. Spottedpaw gasped. "_Cottonpaw!_" The fluffy white apprentice turned, confused. When he saw Spottedpaw, his face broke into a smile.

"Spottedkit! Wait…does this mean you're dead?" He darted over and touched noses with her. "Did that fox kill you, too?"

"I'm Spottedpaw now, and no. But I'm a medicine cat's apprentice!" She put her mouth close to his ear. "I missed you so much." He nodded.

"Me too." **(You're probably like: What's going on? Who the heck is Cottonpaw?) **"So, what are you doing in StarClan?"

"I brought her." Mountainwhisper looked down upon the kits. "I'm trying to teach her there's more to medicine cats than mixing herbs and healing."

Cottonpaw nodded. "Hey, Cherryleaf, come look! It's Spottedpaw!" The old green-eyed cat padded up. His face cracked into a small smile.

"Well, when I went, you were just born. Ah, you probably didn't know I'm your grandfather, did you?" She shook her head. "Ah, yes…Dappletail is a good mother."

"_Spottedpaw?_" The tortoiseshell whipped around. Down the tunnel, two glowing yellow eyes pierced the dimness.

All the cats turned. The tom stood shakily, looking nervous. Spottedpaw was silent for a moment. "_Limpingfoot!_"


	4. Uh, I Think We Have A Problem

**Blazonedheart – Ashfur's Loyalty: Well, **_**later **_**she does. Now she's still getting over the shock of not being a warrior.**

**Grace of Masbolle: Thanks.**

**Zan-Aburame: Yeah…she needed to be a bit more…rawr and a little less…**_**mew**_**. Also, it's spelled "rebellious". No offense.**

**Claire: Read on! It's not that far away! Hurrah!**

----_Chapter Three of: __One Leaf Left: A Rough Beginning_----

Spottedpaw's eyes grew wide. "Limpingfoot, what are you _doing _here?!" she exclaimed.

The crippled tom hung his head. "I'm sorry I haven't been around long enough for you to learn much. I'm sorry I was so harsh with you. I'm sorry. Dogs attacked camp, and, well…I died."

She stood there, silent. "Limpingfoot…" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I'm so sorry." She buried her face in his fur, and all was dark.

----------

Spottedpaw blinked open her eyes. She was lying in the clearing, her head and shoulder throbbing. Her shoulder was covered in cobwebs and her head had a bandage of cobwebs wrapped around it. Quickly she stood up, balancing on three legs, and limped to a water puddle. The cobwebs on her head were sticky and red with blood.

She turned, seeing the limp body of her mentor. Spottedpaw felt weak. She sank to her knees. Lionheart dropped a dripping ball of moss and a mouse at her feet. "Hopefully you'll feel better," he meowed. Then he got closer. "I'm so sorry."

Spottedpaw didn't reply. She leaned down and began sucking on the soaked moss. When even the last drop was milked from the moss ball, she took a bite from the warm, juicy mouse. Quickly she finished it, but she became dizzy and her world swam before her. She vomited on the ground and rolled onto her back. Bluestar bounded toward her.

"Spottedpaw, are you okay?" she mewed, her eyes brimming with worry.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "Just…a little weak, is all." She looked around her. Mousefur was licking a deep wound in her flank. Redtail lay beside her, nursing a slash on his foreleg. Her mother, Dappletail, licked the gash on Willowpaw's hip. None of them knew the exact herbs to use.

Determined, Spottedpaw padded into the medicine cat's den. "Limpingfoot," she whispered. "What should I do?" _Use marigold. It prevents infection._ She nodded, and poked her head out. "Willowpaw, I'll see you first." Bluestar looked up, amazed, but with her eyes full of happiness.

The medicine cat's sister limped into the den and plopped down on a nest, gasping for breath. The wound began to bleed again. Spottedpaw chewed up marigold leaves and petals and pressed it to the wound. Willowpaw took in a quick breath, and her sister relieved some of the pressure she was giving to the flank. "Take this," she murmured, dropping two poppy seeds in front of her. Willowpaw obediently licked them up. "And this." A small strip of willow bark dropped from Spottedpaw's mouth.

While Willowpaw worked at the bark, Spottedpaw wrapped cobwebs tightly around the wound. There was a loud swallow. "Okay. Now rest."

The young cat carried poppy seeds, cobwebs, marigold, and willow bark out into the clearing. She quickly stepped over Limpingfoot, and stopped beside Mousefur. The flank wound kept bleeding. She chewed up the marigold and treated the rest of her. The same she did for Redtail, Dappletail, and Bluestar.

_Good work, Spottedpaw. I'm very proud of you._

--------

Spottedpaw woke, blinking. It was almost sunhigh. "Why hasn't anyone woken me?" she muttered, standing up and stretching. Willowpaw lay on the nest, slumbering quietly. "Willowpaw, wake up. I need to check your wound."

The gray she-cat's bright blue eyes opened, and she yawned, leaning her leg up for Spottedpaw to check. She bent forward and clicked her teeth together, biting through the thick layer of cobwebs. The bandage fell away, showing a puffy red slash, gaping open horribly. Spottedpaw poked it just barely with a claw, and Willowpaw yelped, jumping away. "It's infected!" the medicine cat exclaimed.

Spottedpaw mewed gibberish under her breath as she rummaged through the herbs, coming up with a few small, knobbed roots. She chewed them into a thick, sticky white paste and pressed her paw to the puddle. "You may want to bite this." Spottedpaw rolled a stick toward Willowpaw. Obediently the gray cat took it into her teeth. Taking her paw out of the paste, she began rubbing it onto the wound. Willowpaw gave a small whimper, but dug her teeth into the twig.

It went on like this until the puddle was just a tiny splotch and the paste already applied was pink from blood. Spottedpaw wrapped some cobwebs around the puffy wound, and began walking towards the clearing to check their wounds.

Mousefur's injury was clean; it just needed a fresh swathe of cobwebs after applying chewed burdock leaves to it; Redtail had slight puffiness, but it smelled clean. She gave it some burdock leaves and another wrap of cobwebs. Dappletail's was infected, also, but she quickly pressed on some paste.

"Bluestar?" she mewed, poking her head through the lichen curtain. Bluestar lay in her den, eating a vole. The cobwebs were red with blood, but it all looked dried.

"Come in. Are you here to check my wound?" Bluestar had deep claw marks across her cheek, and she couldn't open her jaws all the way because of the cobweb wrap. Spottedpaw nodded as she bit through the cobwebs. The slashes looked fine. She applied some burdock leaves and more cobwebs.

"Did you know today is the half-moon?" Bluestar meowed.

"No. Why?" she said, gathering her surplus supplies. She brushed some earth off her cobwebs with her tail.

"Well, you must tell the Clans of what happened. StarClan will give you your full medicine cat name, also." Bluestar finished her vole and swiped her tongue across her lips.

"Wow!"

"Yes…now get some fresh-kill, and rest. You're wounded also, you know." Bluestar let out a small chuckle.

Spottedpaw nodded. "Yes, Bluestar." She parted the lichen, carrying her herbs in her teeth, and stepped into the sunlight. She dropped her herbs by the fresh-kill pile and picked out a plump rabbit. They were not always chased after, but when one or two appeared in the pile, she adored their tender, warm taste. She began eating, and looked around as her cobwebs, roots, and leaves scattered. Sandkit glanced at her, looking guilty. "Sorry, Spottedpaw," she squeaked. "I didn't mean to."

"That's fine." She began gathering her herbs, and smiled gently as the kit began rolling roots toward the large leaf with her nose. "Thank you, Sandkit."

She sat down and finished her rabbit. Spottedpaw buried the remains under a bush at the edge of camp, licked her lips, and set her herbs beside it. Then she twitched her whiskers and hurried into the forest to collect herbs.

Spottedpaw lifted her nose. She knew, from this morning, that they were almost out of marigold—oh, and cobwebs. She noticed a web on a bush and noted to get that on her way back. She _definitely _didn't expect to see Limpingfoot appear. His lips were curled back, showing his teeth, and he seemed furious. But he looked past her.

She turned. A huge tabby cat hissed back at the fierce medicine cat. "I told you! Spottedpaw was to be a warrior!"

"Thistleclaw, this is not up to you. It's up to the warriors and medicine cats of _StarClan_!" Limpingfoot yowled.

"Don't amuse me with your sorry little stories of that place. I'm _so _glad you finally found the Shiny Pool of Water," he said mockingly, "but I'm afraid Spottedpaw wasn't to be a medicine cat."

"You're dying of envy because you're locked in the Dark Forest, alone without your precious little Tigerpaw to back you up on things he shouldn't!"

Thistleclaw's eyes grew wide, and his fur puffed up. His amber eyes turned to flames. "Don't you _dare _speak of Tigerpaw that way! He will be the greatest leader ever known to the cats!" Then his eyes fell on Spottedpaw. "Um…Limpingfoot."

They stared down at her. "I think…we have a problem," he said.


End file.
